Police solve 23-year-old murder case

AUSTIN (KXAN) - More than two decades after an Austin woman was found severely injured in her apartment, police are charging her ex-boyfriend with murder.

Officials closed the 1985 murder case of then 38-year-old Austin resident, Natalie Antonetti.

On October 13, 1985, Austin police were called to the 1200 block of Barton Springs Road to investigate an assault on a victim who was later identified as Antonetti.

At about 5:15 a.m., Antonetti’s roommate said she found her attacked and on the couch, bleeding from her head and slurring her speech. Police said EMS transported Antonetti to the hospital, where she died 18 days later from head injuries resulting from the attack.

The initial investigation went cold after authorities said they were unable to charge a suspect in this case.

However, the case was re-examined in 2007 by Austin Police Department’s Homicide Cold Case Unit. In the examination, detectives said they followed up on an anonymous tip that was received that year.

The 2007 tip produced more leads, which ultimately led to the indictment of one of Antonetti’s ex-boyfriends.

Throughout the investigation, lead case agent, Tom Walsh, and detectives with the Cold Case Unit worked closely with Assistant Travis County District Attorney Darla Davis.

Some 23 years later, the case was presented to a Travis County grand jury on June 10, and resulted in an indictment for first-degree murder against Dennis Davis.

Though Davis was previously interviewed at the time of the murder, he was never listed as a suspect.

Davis was arrested by deputies of the United States Marshall’s Fugitive Taskforce with the assistance from the Austin Police Intelligence Unit on July 2 in Nashville.

Police said he is currently in custody in Nashville awaiting an extradition hearing.